Thomas w



.(No Model.) GILMER,

GAR FENDER-v Patented II-111611118957 MOON...

WITNESSES UNITED STATES- THOMAS: w.

PATENT. O FICE.

G'ILMER, or LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'ro JAMES D. TATE, or SAME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,973, dated June 11, 1895.

Application filed April 17, 1895.6 Serial No. 546,015. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. GILMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it.

appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,

and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specific'at-ion.

My invention relates to that class of carfenders in which, on catching an object, the tender automatically readjusts itself in the form of a cradle or pouch for holding the object securely and safely; and it consists in the novel arrangement of the several parts of the device, as hereinafter particularlyshown and described.

In the drawings, which illustrate the best means of carying out my invention, similar reference letters indicate like parts of the device.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of a car with my fender attached and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fender, showing its position upon catching an object and in dotted'lines its position when not in use. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the dashboard, showing the position of the fender and springs when not in use. Fig. 4 is a perspectivefview of one of the springs and its swivel attachment. 'Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the ratchet-wheel and tension-lever. Fig- 6 is a detail view of-thefront end of the brackets supporting the fender.

A is the car-fender, consisting of an outer and an inner frame attached to the car, as shown, the former suitably faced with a rubber tube or other elastic cushion a.

B is the cross-bar of the outer frame, and b its side bars, having near their front ends the rule-joints c, and at their rear ends being pivotally attached tothe brackets O projecting from the end of the car. Two leaf springsD support and elevate the fender, their outer ends having the notches d, in which side bars 12 loosely rest. The inner ends of springsD are turned into suitableeyes, through which pass the bolts e, supported by the sides of the boxes E, which are held by the swivel pinsf,

passing through the platform of the car.

Keyed nearthe outer ends of shafts H are ratchet wheels G, which are journaied in the. car sills, on either side of the platform, and in suitable bearings beneathit. (Notshown) Pendent from H between the springs and the car sills are the tension levers it, having their lower. ends bent at right angles and passing beneath springs 'D. Tension levers h are made topress more or less tightly against springs D by rotating'shafts H with awrench applied to shanks g, and are fixed in position by the engagement of pawls i,'with the teeth of ratchet wheels G.

rear ends to bars I), and at their front ends united by the cross-railj. Each of said latch levers J is at its rear end shaped into a pawl, which is adapted to engage with a notch n in the front end of bracket 0, as shown in Fig. 1. Chain I is suitably secured to the cross-bars B and j, and limits the distance to which the two frames can swing apart, upward or downward.

N is a netting or apron of suitable material, which is fastened at one end to cross-bar B of the fender and at the other end to dashboard F.

The springs employed are made sufficiently strong to support the fender and the added. weight of an averge man. When the fender is to be used, the tension levers are jammed up against the springs, and the outer frame is then jammed down against them, the inner frame being simultaneously pushed down:

ward until its rear pawls engage with the notches in the two brackets, and thereby the fender is set or latched in the position shown' couch or cradle which holds the object socurely and safely.

When the fender is to be disused, the two frames are raised into a vertical position, and fastened to the dash-board in any suitable manner. The tension levers are turned backward, causing the front ends of the springs to drop slightly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the springs are then swung around under the end of the platform, as shown in Fig. 3, thus preventing any interference with the car couplings and bumpers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is--- 1. A car-fenderconsistingof an outerframe pivotally attached to brackets on the car, a shorter inner frame pivotally attached to the outer frame and adapted to be latched by engagement with the brackets, a flexible apron over said frames, and two springs for elevatingthe outer frame when unlatched, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a car-fender, the combination of the supporting brackets having notches in their front ends, the side bars of the outer frame pivotally attached to the brackets, the latch levers of the shorter inner frame pivotally attached to theside bars and having their rear ends adapted to engage with the notches, the overlying flexible apron attached to the fender and outer frame, and the springs forsupporting and elevating the outer frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a car-fender, the combination of the supporting brackets, the outer frame pivotally attached to the brackets, the inner frame pivotally attached to the outer frame and adapted to engage with notches in the brackets, the

otally-supported frame in combination with the springs attached to the car by swivel bolts, and the levers for raising and lowering the springs, substantially as and for the pur' pose described.

5. In a car-fender, the combination of the brackets having notches in their front ends, the outer frame pivotally attached to the brackets, the inner frame pivotally attached to the outerframe and adapted to engage with the notches, the overlying netting attached to the outer frame and the dashboard, the leaf springs having at their front ends notches adapted to engage with the side bars of the outer frame and having their rear ends suspended from the platform by swivel bolts, and the tension levers for raising and lowering the front ends of the springs depending from a shaft journaled beneath the platform and adapted to be locked in place by pawls and ratchet wheels, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. GILHER. Witnesses:

NATHAN H. ROBBINS, M. L. I-IEMENWAY. 

